Rafida

Shia sects which reject the legitimacy of the first three Muslim Caliphs

Rafida (Arabic: رافضة, romanized: Rāfiḍa, lit. 'rejectors') refers to the majority of Shia Muslims who 'reject' the legitimacy of the first three caliphs Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman (r. 644–656), in favor of Ali ibn Abi Talib (r. 656–661), the cousin and son-in-law of the Islamic prophet Muhammad. Rooted in early Islamic history, the term Rafida is used in Sunni polemics as a deragotary nickname for Shias. In turn, Shias have reinterpreted this nickname favorably to signify their rejection of perceived Sunni oppression.

Definition

The term Rafida (or Rawafid, lit. 'rejectors'), sg. Rafidi) refers to those Shia Muslims who 'reject' the legitimacy of the first three Muslim caliphs, namely, Abu Bakr (r. 632–634), Umar (r. 634–644), and Uthman (r. 644–656). One after another, these caliphs succeeded the Islamic prophet Muhammad after he died in 632 CE.[1][2] In particular, the term Rafida is applied to Twelvers, who constitute the majority of Shias.[3][4] Twelvers believe that, shortly before he died, Muhammad publicly designated his cousin and son-in-law, Ali ibn Abi Talib, as his successor at the Ghadir Khumm. In their view, early caliphs thus usurped Ali's right to succeed Muhammad. They also believe that Ali was succeeded by eleven of his descendants.[3][5]

Rooted in early Islamic history, the term Rafida is used in Sunni polemics as a deragotary nickname for Twelvers, who have, in turn, reinterpreted this term favorably to signify 'rejection' of all tyranny and their struggle against perceived Sunni oppression.[1] Less commonly, the term Rafida has been applied to other Shia sects, such as the ghulat (lit. 'exaggerators' or 'extremists'),[3] who ascribed divinity to Shia imams and were excommunicated by them.[6]

Context

By eleventh century, the Shia status as "rejectors of the Truth" was canonized by Hanbali scholars, who did not grant Islamic rights to Shia Muslims: They were not to be married with, meat slaughtered by them was not halal (permissible), and they could not lead prayers.[7][3] With the fall of Abbasids in 1258, such attacks on Shi'ism intensified.[7] They are labeled today as infidels or heretics by various Salafi and Wahhabi scholars,[8][9] considered a bigger threat to Islam than Christianity and Judaism,[7][9] and there are frequent calls for their extermination.[10][8][11] On these grounds, some Sunni Jihadist groups have justified their acts of violence against the Shia community.[12][13] A popular reference for these groups is the prominent Hanbali theologian Ibn Taymiyya (d. 1328), a staunch anti-Shia who also accused the Shia of conspiring with nonbelievers to destroy Islam from within.[14] In Saudi Arabia, where Wahhabism is dominant,[15][16] schoolbooks referred to Shias as the Rafida until 1993. They are still openly denounced in Saudi schoolbooks and state-sponsored media.[17][18]


Once Shias realized that they could not rid themselves of the pejorative nickname, they sought to turn it to their advantage. Thus, the term Rafida has been reinterpreted in Twelver sources as an honorific title.[19] In the contemporary era, some Shias in Iraq and Lebanon view the term as a source of pride, symbolizing revolt against tyranny.[1]

History

Origins

Origins of the term Rafida is uncertain. Perhaps the term is linked with the desertion of the Shia rebel Zayd ibn Ali (d. 740 CE) by some Kufan Shias, after the former refused to denounce the first two caliphs. They thus 'rejected' Zayd and became known as the Rafida. Zayd's rebellion was subsequently suppressed by the Umayyads and he was killed.[3][20][21] Rather than the rejection of Zayd, more likely the term Rafida historically signified the rejection of the first three caliphs by most Imamite Shias, that is, the majority of Shias, known today as Twelvers.[4]

Over time, the term Rafida became a popular pejorative for Twelvers.[22] For Sunnis, the term signified the rejection of the first three caliphs,[22] whom Twelvers count among infidels for allegedly usurping Ali ibn Abi Talib's right to succeed Muhammad.[23][24] Alternatively, for Zaydis, who follow Zayd's teachings, the term denoted the rejection of Zayd by early Imamite Shias.[22]

Rafida in Sunni tradition

The term Rafida appears in some Sunni traditions of dubious authenticity. In one such tradition, Muhammad predicts the emergence of a group that would reject (yarfuduna) Islam. In another one, he orders Ali ibn Abi Talib to kill the Rafida for they are polytheists. Elsewhere, the Rafida, who are allegedly similar to Jews, are blamed for introducing into Islam the concept of anthropomorphism (tashbih), which is allegedly a hallmark of Judaism.[3]

Rafida in Twelver tradition

Even though the term Rafida was initially intended as a derogatory nickname,[3] there are Twelver traditions that, attributed to Shia imams, that reinterpret this term favorably. In one such tradition, Rafida are identified as a small group among the people of Pharaoh who rejected his rule, undaunted by his threats of punishment. This tradition is a reference to verses 7:120–126 and 20:70–75 of the Quran. According to some Twelver traditions, the term Rafida even appeared in the Tawrat.[22]

Rafida in Zaydi tradition

In some Zaydi sources, the term Rafida refers to those Kufans who deserted Zayd because he did not condemn the first two caliphs,[25][26] even though Zayd probably still regarded Ali ibn Abi Talib more qualified to succeed the Islamic prophet.[27][28]

See also

Footnotes

  1. ^ a b c Esposito 2003, p. 262.
  2. ^ Madelung 2000, p. 112.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Kohlberg 2012.
  4. ^ a b Momen 1985, p. 73.
  5. ^ Amir-Moezzi 2014.
  6. ^ Momen 1985, pp. 67–68.
  7. ^ a b c Nasr 2007, §1.
  8. ^ a b Yamani 2008, pp. 151–152.
  9. ^ a b Steinberg 2014, p. 113.
  10. ^ Jones 2005, p. 21.
  11. ^ Steinberg 2014, p. 114.
  12. ^ Shorok 2017, pp. 14–15.
  13. ^ Steinberg 2014.
  14. ^ Steinberg 2014, p. 111.
  15. ^ Ibrahim 2006, pp. 21–22.
  16. ^ Jones 2005, p. 23.
  17. ^ Prokop 2003, p. 81.
  18. ^ Jones 2005, pp. 23–24.
  19. ^ Kohlberg 1979, p. 678.
  20. ^ Daftary 2013, p. 146.
  21. ^ al-Abdul Jader 2010, p. 11. sfn error: no target: CITEREFal-Abdul_Jader2010 (help)
  22. ^ a b c d Kohlberg 1979, p. 677.
  23. ^ Dakake 2007, p. 107.
  24. ^ Friedlaender 1907, p. 22.
  25. ^ Haider 2011, pp. 196–197.
  26. ^ Haider 2014, p. 89.
  27. ^ Jafri 1977, p. 252. sfn error: no target: CITEREFJafri1977 (help)
  28. ^ Lalani 2000, p. 47. sfn error: no target: CITEREFLalani2000 (help)

Sources

  • Amir-Moezzi, M.A. (2014). "Ghadīr Khumm". In Fleet, K.; Krämer, G.; Matringe, D.; Nawas, J.; Stewart, D.J. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Third ed.). ISBN 9789004269613.
  • Daftary, F. (2013). A History of Shi'i Islam. I.B. Tauris. ISBN 9780857723338.
  • Dakake, M.M. (2007). The Charismatic Community: Shi'ite Identity in Early Islam. State University of New York Press. ISBN 9780791470336.
  • Delong-Bas, N.J. (2004). Wahhabi Islam: From Revival and Reform to Global Jihad. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195169911.
  • Esposito, J.L. (2003). The Oxford Dictionary of Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780195125597.
  • Friedlaender, I. (1907). "The Heterodoxies of the Shiites in the Presentation of Ibn Ḥazm". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 28: 1–80.
  • Haider, N. (2011). The Origins of the Shī'a: Identity, Ritual, and Sacred Space in Eighth-Century Kūfa. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107424951.
  • Ibrahim, F. (2006). The Shi'is of Saudi Arabia. SAQI. ISBN 9780863569036.
  • Jones, T. (2005). "The Iraq Effect in Saudi Arabia". Middle East Report. 237: 20–25.
  • Kohlberg, E. (1979). "The Term 'Rāfida' in Imāmī Shī'ī Usage". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 99 (4): 677–679. ISSN 0003-0279. JSTOR 601453.
  • Kohlberg, E. (2012). "al-Rāfiḍa". In Bearman, P.; Bianquis, Th.; Bosworth, C.E.; van Donzel, E.; Heinrichs, W.P. (eds.). Encyclopaedia of Islam (Second ed.). ISBN 9789004161214.
  • Madelung, W. (2000). "Review of Islamic Legal Orthodoxy: Twelver Shiite Responses to the Sunni Legal System, by D.J. Stewart". Journal of the American Oriental Society. 120/1: 111–114.
  • Momen, M. (1985). An Introduction to Shi'i Islam. Yale University Press. ISBN 9780300035315.
  • Nasr, V. (2007). Shia Revival. W.W. Norton. ISBN 9780393066401.
  • Prokop, M. (2003). "Saudi Arabia: The Politics of Education". International Affairs. 79/1: 77–89.
  • Shorok, K. (2017). We are Saving Iraq: The Legitimising Discourse of The Popular Mobilisation in Iraq (PDF) (Thesis). University of Oslo.
  • Steinberg, G. (2014). "Jihadi-Salafism and the Shi'is: Remarks About the Intellectual Roots of Anti-Shi'ism". In Meijer, R. (ed.). Global Salafism: Islam's New Religious Movement. Oxford Academic.
  • Yamani, M. (2008). "The two faces of Saudi Arabia". Survival. 50/1: 143–156.
  • Haider, N. (2014). Shi'i Islam: An Introduction. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9781107031432.

External links

  • Haddad, F. (2013). "The Language of Anti-Shiism". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2013-08-11.
  • Zelin, A.Y.; Smyth, P. (2014). "The Vocabulary of Sectarianism". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on 2014-03-16.